Ukraine Claims Capture of Indian National Fighting for Russia, MEA Now 'Ascertaining Veracity' Of Report

Ukraine’s

63rd Mechanized Brigade has reported capturing an Indian national fighting alongside Russian forces. The individual has been identified as Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein, a 22-year-old from Gujarat's Morbi, who is said to have entered Russia on a student visa.In a video released by the brigade, he claims that after being convicted on drug charges and sentenced to seven years in prison, he was offered a deal: join the Russian military in exchange for having his sentence overturned. According to Kyiv Independent, he underwent roughly 16 days of training before being sent to the front lines. After only three days in combat, he says he surrendered to Ukrainian forces, telling them he had no intention of fighting.

MEA Verifying Report of Indian National Captured by Ukraine

In the video, Hussein is seen speaking in Russian, claiming he was given the option to join the Russian military to avoid further jail time. "I didn't want to stay in prison, so I signed a contract for the ‘special military operation’," Hussein says in the video. “But I wanted to get out of there."“I immediately laid down my rifle… I needed help,” he said in the captured footage. He also claimed that he never received the promised financial compensation.

MEA 'Ascertaining Veracity' Of Report

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is currently verifying reports that an Indian national has been captured by Ukrainian forces. According to sources, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv is working to verify the report. So far, no official communication has been received from Ukrainian authorities.Earlier this month, Russia launched a massive nighttime assault across Ukraine, firing drones, missiles, and guided aerial bombs that killed five people, injured nearly 20, and struck civilian infrastructure, according to Ukrainian officials.Ukraine’s air force said Moscow fired 53 ballistic and cruise missiles and 496 drones, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that nine regions were targeted in the strike.Lviv bore the brunt of the attack. Four people, including a 15-year-old, died in a combined missile and drone strike, regional officials and Ukraine’s emergency service confirmed, as per an AP report. Maksym Kozytskyi, head of Lviv’s military administration, called it “the largest aerial assault on the historic western city and surrounding region since Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.”Earlier considered a haven from the war, Lviv experienced unprecedented destruction. Kozytskyi wrote on Telegram that Russia had launched about 140 Shahed drones and 23 ballistic missiles across the region. Ukraine’s police said at least six more people were injured.Mayor Andriy Sadovyi reported that the strike left two districts without power and disrupted public transport for several hours. He added that a business complex on the city outskirts caught fire, emphasizing it was a civilian facility unlinked to Ukraine’s war effort.